JP2740421B2 - Consultation system and method - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a consultation system, and more particularly, to a consultation system and method suitable for use by an expert to solve a problem with a software package or the like for a user.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In general, a user who has introduced a computer product is required to perform an after-follow operation to use the computer. In recent years, with the expansion of the software industry, many software products such as packages have been developed, and the number of users who introduce the software products has been increasing.

[0003] As one of the after-sales services for such users, functions and usage of software products,
There is consulting for inquiries from users about the operation of the machine.

[0004] As a conventional technique related to consultation for such an inquiry, for example, "HITAC"
Information on Customer Answer Center (HCA Center) "
And the like are known.

In this prior art, an inquiry from a user is received by telephone, and an expert grasps the situation on the user side based on the contents of the inquiry and answers the countermeasure by telephone.
The problem is solved by going to the user.

In the after-following work including such consultation, the number of man-hours is increasing as the number of software packages increases.

[0007]

In the prior art, there is no particular problem under the current number of users who have installed a computer. However, as the number of users increases, the number of man-hours for after-following increases. , Because it is necessary to listen to the details of inquiries from users on the phone, it takes time for experts to accurately understand the contents, and the contents are easily misunderstood. There is a problem in that it takes time and effort to respond to a telephone call and to actually go there.

An object of the present invention is to provide a consultation system and a consultation method which solve the problems of the above-mentioned prior art, and which enable expert consultation for inquiries from users to be performed accurately in a short time. It is in.

[0009]

According to the present invention, the object is to provide a computer system for a user who has installed a computer product.
Consulting system for performing consulting
The system on the user side, the system on the expert side,
A coupling device for coupling these components is provided.
Each system on the gate side has an input device, an output device,
And a processing unit,
The storage device is available to the user from the software package.
An output memory for storing data to be transferred to the input device;
Data indicating the output status based on the data output to the output device
Data that stores data one after another.
The storage device on the gate side stores data indicating the output status on the user side.
User status memory to store data and expert input
Input data for storing data input from the
Configured, user-side system, user-side status
Compares the previous data in the memory with the current data, and
The difference data of the user to the user status memory on the expert side
Each system on the user side and the expert side is connected to each output device.
By outputting the same information .

[0010]

[Explanation] The expert gives guidance to the user in response to an inquiry about the operation method of the software package from the user who introduced the computer product, and the same contents as the output contents of the output device which the user sees at the terminal on the expert side. You can do it while watching. This eliminates the need for the expert to go to the user or explain the display contents by telephone, thereby reducing the number of man-hours for after-following the user.

[0011]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of a consultation system according to the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a functional configuration of an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a hardware configuration of an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 3 is a flowchart for explaining the operation, and FIG. It is a figure showing an example of a display screen. 1 and 2
1 is a user side system, 2 is a coupling device, 3
Is an expert system, 4 and 8 are displays, 5 and 9 are keyboards, 6 and 7 are CPUs, 11 is a package,
2, 33 are output devices, 13 is output memory, 14 is status memory, 31 is user status memory, 32 is input memory,
34 is an input device.

A system according to one embodiment of the present invention is shown in FIG.
As shown in FIG. 1, the system 1 includes a system 1 on the user side, a system 3 on the expert side, and a coupling device 2 for connecting these systems.
Comprises an input device, an output device, a storage device, and a processing device. FIG. 1 shows only parts related to the present invention.

The storage device on the user side stores an output memory 13 for storing data to be transferred to the output device 12 from the software package 11 and data indicating an output state based on the data output to the output device 12 one after another. And a status memory 14. The storage device on the expert side includes a user status memory 31 for storing data indicating an output status on the user side, and an input memory 32 for storing data input from the input device 34.

The processing device on the user side stores the output data from the package 11 in the output memory 13, the processing device outputs the output data from the output memory 13 to the output device 12, A processing means for sequentially storing the data indicating the output status from the status memory 13 in the status memory 14;
Processing means for sending to the system 3 on the expert side via
Processing means for storing the data in the input memory 32 sent via the coupling device 2 in the output memory 13, and processing means for transferring the data from the output memory 13 to the package 11 and outputting the output data to the output device 12 It is comprised including.

The processing device on the expert side is a coupling device 2
Processing means for storing the data of the status memory 14 transmitted via the user status memory 31 in the user status memory 31, and outputting the data indicating the output status from the user status memory 31 to the output device 33
Processing means for outputting data input by an expert from an input device to an input memory, and processing means for transmitting data from an input memory 32 to a user-side system 1 via a coupling device 2. It is provided with.

One embodiment of the present invention configured as described above can be configured as hardware as shown in FIG. 2, and a system for displaying input / output data and the like is provided on the system on the user side. 8, a keyboard 9 for inputting business information and the like, and a central processing unit (CPU) 7 which is a management device for the keyboard 9. A system on the expert side for displaying user status and the like is provided. A display 4, a keyboard 5 for inputting input data by consultation or the like, and a central processing unit (CPU) 6 as a management device thereof are provided. For example, a LAN or the like can be used as the coupling device 2 that connects the two systems.

The user CPU 7 has an output memory 13 for storing the display data shown in FIG.
4 and an input memory for storing input data, and the package 11 is also stored in the CPU 7.

The expert-side CPU 6 is provided with a user situation memory 31 for storing the situation of the user and the like, and an input memory 32 for storing the input data and the display data.

Next, the operation for performing consultation according to the embodiment of the present invention configured as described above will be described.
This will be described with reference to the flow shown in FIG. 3 and FIG. 4 showing an example of output contents.

(1) When a business program is running on the user side, first, business information processing for storing information to be output from the software package 11 in the output memory 13 is performed (step 301).

(2) Next, while outputting the output content of the output memory 13 to the display of the output device 12,
An output process of returning necessary data in the output memory 13 to the package is performed, and business contents are displayed on a business information setting screen. In this case, for example, a screen shown as 401 in FIG. 4 is displayed (step 302).

The user sequentially inputs necessary data from the keyboard while watching the displayed contents. In this output process, data indicating the output status is sequentially stored in the status memory 14.

(3) At this stage, it is assumed that an error has occurred in the user's keyboard input or the like, and the user cannot understand the subsequent processing method. The user starts the transfer process in order to receive consultation by an expert. In this process, the previous data in the status memory 14 is compared with the current data, and the difference data is transferred to the user status memory 31 on the expert side, or as the data indicating the output status of the user, the current and previous data are output. This is executed by transferring the output data to the user status memory 31 on the expert side (step 303).

(4) Next, the expert performs a user situation output process of outputting the output data from the user situation memory 31 to the display of the output device 34 on the expert side. As a result, a business information setting screen, which is the user status shown as 402 in FIG. 4, is displayed (step 304).

(5) The expert looks at the same screen as the user is looking at, and confirms and makes a judgment. For example, as shown as 402 in FIG. If it is determined that a value must be entered, the value A for item A is entered from the keyboard. When such an input is performed, it is determined that the input has been performed, and the input data in the input memory 32 is
An input data transfer process for transferring the data to the output memory on the user side is executed (steps 305 and 306).

The process returns to step 301 of the business information processing on the user side, regardless of whether the input on the expert side is performed or not.

(6) The data input by the expert into the output memory 13 on the user side is stored in the package 11 and simultaneously displayed on the display 8 on the user side as shown in FIG.
Is displayed as 403, and the error on the user side is eliminated.

(7) By repeating the above processing flow,
When consultation for dealing with a package trouble is performed and processing for all errors is completed, the consultation processing is completed (step 3).
07).

In the above-described processing, after transferring the status memory 14, the user can transfer the question items and the like and display them on the display on the expert side. May be marked with specific information and asked if it is correct. Further, at this time, a question may be directly made by telephone. In this case, since the user and the expert can have a conversation while looking at the same screen, and can input data from the expert, the expert goes to the user and consults. When performed, a similar effect can be obtained.

In the present example, the LAN is used for the data transfer described above. However, the coupling device is selected and used in accordance with each environment, management scale and data amount. can do.

According to the above-described embodiment of the present invention, since the system of the user who introduced the computer product and the system of the expert are connected by the coupling device, the user operates the package while operating. When an inquiry about the method or the like occurs, the output contents output to the output device on the user side can be transferred to the expert side to make an inquiry. For this reason, the expert can grasp and judge the situation on the user side more reliably, and the consultation can be performed by a remote key input operation.

According to one embodiment of the present invention,
Problems that occur on the user side can be communicated to the specialist side more quickly and accurately and resolved, and for multiple users, consultation is reduced by reducing the number of after-sales work on the specialist side. It can be carried out.

[0034]

As described above, according to the present invention, expert consulting for inquiries from users can be performed without visiting experts to users.
It can be performed accurately in a short time.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a functional configuration of an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating a hardware configuration according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart illustrating an operation.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of a display screen.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 User side system 2 Coupling apparatus 3 Expert side system 4,8 Display 5,9 Keyboard 6,7 CPU 11 Package 12,33 Output device 13 Output memory 14 Status memory 31 User status memory 32 Input memory 34 Input device

 ──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continuation of the front page (72) Inventor Keisho Kuno 890 Kashimada, Saiwai-ku, Kawasaki-shi, Kanagawa Prefecture Information Systems Development Division, Hitachi, Ltd. (56) References JP-A-4-60853 (JP, A JP-A-3-157737 (JP, A)

Claims (3)

(57) [Claims] 1. A consultation system for consulting for the user who introduced the computer product, comprising: a user-side system, the expert side system, and a coupling device for coupling them, the user
The system on the input side and the output side
Device, storage device, and processing device.
The storage device on the user side can be downloaded from the software package.
Output memo that stores the data to be transferred to the output device on the user side
And an output status based on the data output to the output device.
And a status memory that stores data indicating the status one after another.
The expert's storage device is
Stores data indicating the user status memory and the expert
Memo that stores the data input from the input device on the side
And the system on the user side
The previous data in the memory and the current data
Compare and compare the difference data with expert user status notes
And the user and expert systems,
A consultation system that outputs the same information to each output device. 2. A processing unit on the user side stores processing data output from a software package in an output memory, processing means outputting output data from the output memory to an output device, and output from the output memory. Processing means for successively storing data indicating the situation in the situation memory, processing means for sending the data indicating the output situation to the system on the expert side via the coupling device, and sent via the coupling device Processing means for storing data from the expert side in the output memory, and processing means for transferring data from the output memory to the package and outputting output data to the output device; Processing means for storing the data from the user side system sent via the coupling device in the user status memory, and outputting the output status from the user status memory. Processing means for outputting the data shown to the output device, processing means for storing the data input by the expert from the input device in the input memory, and sending the data in the input memory to the user's system via the coupling device 2 claim 1, characterized in that it is constituted by a processing unit
Consultation system as described. 3. A consultation method for providing consultation to a user who has introduced a computer product, wherein a system on the user side and a system on the expert side are connected by a connecting device, and the user side and the expert side are connected.
Each of the systems is composed of input devices, output devices, storage devices,
And a processing device, and the user's storage device is
Software package to the user's output device.
Output memory for storing data to be output to the output device
The data indicating the output status is stored one after another based on the
The storage device on the expert side consists of a memory
User that stores data indicating the output status on the user side.
User status memory and input from expert input device
An input memory for storing data
The system on the other end checks the last data in the user's status memory.
Data and this data, and specialize in the difference data.
A consultation method, wherein the consultation is transferred to a user status memory on the home side, and the system on the user side and the system on the expert side make the output state of each output device the same, and the specialist consults the user.